Egyptian archaeologists have uncovered an ancient burial site containing 50 mummies dating back to the Ptolemaic era in Minya, south of Cairo, the Ministry of Antiquities said on Saturday, Feb. 2.
The mummies, 12 of which were of children, were discovered inside four, nine-meter-deep burial chambers in the Tuna El-Gebel archaeological site.
The identities of the mummies are still unknown, according to Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Mostafa Waziri.
Visitors gathered at the discovery site where 40 of the mummies were exhibited during the announcement.
Some of the mummies were found wrapped in linen, while others were placed in stone and wooden coffins or sarcophagi.
Read Next:
Ancient Greek Shipwreck From Black Sea Is ‘World’s Oldest Intact’
The ancient Greeks once sailed the seas aboard ships like the ones depicted on ancient murals and vases from the time of Plato. In modern times, though, we have never actually laid eyes on one—that is, until now.In the depths of the Black Sea, more than 80 kilometers (49 miles) off the coast of Burgas, Bulgaria, an ancient Greek merchant ship, resembling paintings of the vessel used by Homer’s Odysseus, was recently discovered by an Anglo-Bulgarian research team.
From carbon dating, the ship is thought to be over 2,400 years old, making it the world’s oldest ship ever found that is still intact. The vessel measures 23 meters long (75 feet), and its rudder, rowing benches, as well as the contents of its cargo hold remain preserved despite being two dozen centuries old.
“It’s when the ROV drops down through the water column and you see this ship appear in the light at the bottom so perfectly preserved it feels like you step back in time,” MAP researcher Dr. Helen Farr told BBC.
“It’s like another world.”
It is believed that the vessel, which was found lying on its side, was preserved due to the super-salty and anoxic (oxygen-deprived) conditions of the Black Sea. The depth at which it was located also made it impossible for treasure hunters to disturb it.
“It’s preserved, it’s safe,“ Farr said. ”It’s not deteriorating and it’s unlikely to attract hunters.”
The ship’s design resembles the one depicted in the ancient Siren Vase, dating back to 480 B.C., where Odysseus is tied to the mast of his own ship sailing past the sirens (whose song leads sailors to crash into the rocks and meet their demise), which is currently in the British Museum.
The ship’s cargo is currently unknown, yet the MAP team hopes to return for further exploration, though more funding is still needed.
“Normally we find amphorae (wine vases) and can guess where it’s come from, but with this, it’s still in the hold,” Dr. Farr said. “As archaeologists, we’re interested in what it can tell us about technology, trade, and movements in the area.”
For the past three years, the MAP team has charted over 2,000 square kilometers, (772 square miles) of the sea floor in the Black Sea, and has discovered 67 wrecks, including Roman trading ships and a 17th-century Cossack trading fleet.
